KR102122237B1 - Cleaner and controlling method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to achieve the problem of the present invention, a vacuum cleaner performing autonomous driving according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body, a driving unit for moving the main body, a suction unit installed on the front side of the main body, a front side of the main body, and an amount of the main body. It is installed on each side, a plurality of sensors for detecting an obstacle present in each direction, and a control unit for controlling the driving unit to move the main body based on a preset driving pattern, wherein the control unit includes the preset driving pattern While driving along, the sensor installed on the front side of the main body and the sensor installed on the first side of both sides of the main body detects whether or not it enters the corner area of the cleaning area, and the main body is located in the corner area. When it enters, it is characterized in that the first side of the main body controls the driving unit to contact the first wall forming the corner region at least once.

Description

Cleaner and its control method{CLEANER AND CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner capable of recognizing obstacles and performing autonomous driving, and a control method thereof.

In general, robots have been developed for industrial use and have been responsible for a part of factory automation. In recent years, the field of application of robots has been further expanded, medical robots, aerospace robots, etc. have been developed, and home robots that can be used in general homes are also being made.

A typical example of the household robot is a robot cleaner, which is a kind of household appliance that inhales and cleans surrounding dust or foreign substances while driving a certain area by itself. These robot cleaners are generally equipped with a rechargeable battery and an obstacle sensor capable of avoiding obstacles while driving, so that they can travel and clean themselves.

Recently, research has been actively conducted to utilize the robot cleaner in various fields such as health care, smart home, remote control, and so on, instead of simply performing autonomous cleaning of the robot cleaner.

On the other hand, when the suction unit of the robot cleaner is installed in front of the main body, there is a problem that cleaning is not sufficiently performed on the corner area when driving the wall following moving along the wall of the cleaning area.

That is, according to the number of suction units or the installation position, a separate driving pattern is required to minimize the uncleaned area.

In this regard, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0053760 (published on May 24, 2011) discloses a robot cleaner that performs zigzag driving.

However, the above prior document does not disclose a configuration for solving the point that the corner area is not sufficiently cleaned when performing zigzag, so a problem that the user is not satisfied with the performance of the robot cleaner remains.

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner for performing autonomous driving and a control method thereof, which can improve a cleaning success rate of a corner area among cleaning areas.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner that performs autonomous driving that performs a unique driving pattern and a control method thereof, so that a cleaner having a suction unit only on the front side of the main body performs sufficient cleaning for a corner area.

In order to solve the technical problems of the present invention as described above, the vacuum cleaner for performing autonomous driving according to the present invention includes a main body, a driving unit for moving the main body, a suction unit installed in front of the main body, a front surface of the main body, and a main body of the main body. It is provided on each side, a plurality of sensors for detecting an obstacle present in each direction, and a control unit for controlling the driving unit to move the main body based on a preset driving pattern.

In particular, the control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, while driving along a preset driving pattern, using a sensor installed on the front of the main body and a sensor installed on the first side of both sides of the main body, in the cleaning area It is possible to detect whether or not to enter the corner area.

In addition, the control unit is characterized in that when the main body enters the corner area, the first side of the main body controls the driving unit to contact the first wall forming the corner area at least once.

In one embodiment, when the first side is in contact with the first wall, the controller is configured to drive the first corner away from the first wall and the first side to the first wall. It characterized in that it controls the driving unit so that the second corner driving in contact with the back is performed sequentially.

In one embodiment, the sensor installed on the first side is configured as an impact sensor that senses a physical force applied from the outside, and the controller is configured to drive the first corner and based on the output of the sensor installed on the first side. And determining whether to perform the second corner driving.

In one embodiment, when the output of the sensor installed on the first side increases below a preset first reference value and above a preset second reference value, the controller controls the driving unit to perform the first corner driving. It is characterized by controlling.

In one embodiment, when the output of the sensor installed on the first side decreases above the second reference value and below the first reference value, the control unit controls the driving unit to perform the second corner driving. It is characterized by.

In one embodiment, the control unit repeatedly performs the first and second corner driving until the suction part installed on the front surface of the main body contacts the second wall forming the corner area together with the first wall. It characterized in that to control the driving portion as possible.

In one embodiment, the sensor installed on the front of the main body is configured as an impact sensor that senses a physical force applied from the outside, and the control unit uses the output of the sensor installed on the front of the main body, so that the suction part is the second wall Characterized in that it is determined whether or not contact.

In one embodiment, the control unit is characterized in that when selecting the wall facing the front of the main body when entering the corner area of the two walls forming the corner area as the first wall.

In one embodiment, when the front of the main body contacts the first wall, the control unit changes the posture of the main body such that the front of the main body faces the second wall forming the corner area together with the first wall. It is characterized by performing the posture change driving.

In one embodiment, when the posture change driving is completed, the controller controls the driving unit such that the first and second corner driving is repeatedly performed.

In one embodiment, the posture change driving is a first posture change process of reversing the main body along a first curved path such that when the front of the main body contacts the first wall, the front of the main body faces the second wall. And, a second posture changing process of advancing the main body so that the front of the main body contacts the second wall, and a third posture of driving the main body along a second curved path so that the side of the main body contacts the first wall. It is characterized by including a change.

In one embodiment, the driving unit includes two main wheels respectively corresponding to both sides of the main body, and the control unit is further provided on the first wall of the two main wheels to perform the first corner driving. It characterized in that to control the drive unit to rotate any one of the adjacent, faster than the other one.

In one embodiment, in order to perform the second corner driving, the control unit controls the driving unit to rotate one of the two main wheels closer to the first wall more slowly than the other one. It is characterized by.

In one embodiment, a sensor installed on the side of the main body is configured to detect a distance from an obstacle, and when the front of the main body contacts the first wall, the control unit determines the distance from the side of the main body to the second wall. It is characterized by determining whether the main body has entered the corner area based on the calculated distance.

According to the present invention, the performance of the cleaner can be improved by performing a detailed driving in the corner area so that the robot cleaner can clean the cleaning area without gaps.

In particular, according to the present invention, the user's satisfaction with the cleaner can be improved by minimizing the uncleaned area that cannot be cleaned by zigzag driving.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of a cleaner performing autonomous driving according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a cleaner performing autonomous driving illustrated in FIG. 1.
3 is a side view of a cleaner performing autonomous driving illustrated in FIG. 1.
4 is a block diagram showing components of a cleaner performing autonomous driving according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example in which a cleaner and a charging station according to the present invention are installed in a cleaning area.
6 to 12 are conceptual views showing a driving method of a cleaner performing autonomous driving according to the present invention.
13 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a cleaner performing autonomous driving according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but technical terms used in the specification are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are intended to limit the spirit of the technologies disclosed herein. It should be noted that it is not.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of the robot cleaner 100 according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the robot cleaner 100 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a robot cleaner 100 shown in FIG. 1 Is a side view of.

For reference, in this specification, a mobile robot, a robot cleaner, and a cleaner performing autonomous driving may be used in the same sense.

1 to 3, the robot cleaner 100 performs a function of cleaning the floor while driving a certain area by itself. The cleaning of the floor referred to herein includes inhaling the floor dust (including foreign matter) or mopping the floor.

The robot cleaner 100 includes a cleaner body 110, a suction unit 120, a sensing unit 130, and a dust container 140.

The cleaner body 110 is provided with a control unit (not shown) for controlling the robot cleaner 100 and a wheel unit 111 for driving the robot cleaner 100. By the wheel unit 111, the robot cleaner 100 may be moved forward, backward, left, and right, or rotated.

The wheel unit 111 includes a main wheel 111a and a sub-wheel 111b.

The main wheel 111a is provided on both sides of the cleaner body 110, and is configured to be rotatable in one direction or the other according to a control signal of the control unit. Each main wheel 111a may be configured to be driven independently of each other. For example, each main wheel 111a may be driven by different motors.

The sub-wheel 111b supports the cleaner body 110 together with the main wheel 111a, and is configured to assist driving of the robot cleaner 100 by the main wheel 111a. The sub-wheel 111b may also be provided in the suction unit 120 to be described later.

As described, by controlling the drive of the wheel unit 111, the robot cleaner 100 is made to autonomously drive the floor.

Meanwhile, a battery (not shown) for supplying power to the robot cleaner 100 is mounted on the cleaner body 110. The battery is configured to be rechargeable, and may be configured to be detachably attached to the bottom surface of the cleaner body 110.

The suction unit 120 is disposed in a form protruding from one side of the cleaner body 110, and is made to suck air containing dust. The one side may be the side in which the cleaner body 110 travels in the forward direction F, that is, the front side of the cleaner body 110.

In this drawing, it is shown that the suction unit 120 has a form protruding from both sides of the cleaner body 110 to both front and left and right sides. Specifically, the front end portions of the suction unit 120 are disposed at positions spaced forward from one side of the cleaner body 110, and both right and left ends of the suction unit 120 are spaced from the one side of the cleaner body 110 to the left and right sides, respectively. Is placed in the wrong position.

As the cleaner body 110 is formed in a circular shape, and both sides of the rear end of the suction unit 120 protrude from the cleaner body 110 to the left and right sides, respectively, the cleaner body 110 and the suction unit 120 are empty. Spaces, ie gaps, can be formed. The empty space is a space between the left and right ends of the cleaner body 110 and the left and right ends of the suction unit 120, and has a shape recessed toward the inside of the robot cleaner 100.

When an obstacle is caught in the empty space, a problem that the robot cleaner 100 cannot move due to an obstacle may be caused. To prevent this, a cover member 129 may be disposed to cover at least a portion of the empty space. The cover member 129 may be provided on the cleaner body 110 or the suction unit 120. In the present embodiment, it is shown that the cover members 129 are protruded on both sides of the rear end of the suction unit 120 to be disposed to cover the outer circumferential surface of the cleaner body 110.

The cover member 129 is disposed to fill at least a portion of the empty space, that is, the empty space between the cleaner body 110 and the suction unit 120. Therefore, an obstacle can be prevented from being caught in the empty space, or a structure that can be easily separated from the obstacle can be implemented even if an obstacle is stuck in the empty space.

The cover member 129 protruding from the suction unit 120 may be supported on the outer circumferential surface of the cleaner body 110. If the cover member 129 protrudes from the cleaner body 110, the cover member 129 may be supported on the rear portion of the suction unit 120. According to the above structure, when the suction unit 120 hits an obstacle and receives an impact, a part of the impact is transmitted to the cleaner body 110 so that the impact can be distributed.

The suction unit 120 may be detachably coupled to the cleaner body 110. When the suction unit 120 is separated into the cleaner body 110, a mop module (not shown) may be detachably coupled to the cleaner body 110 by replacing the separated suction unit 120. Accordingly, the user can mount the suction unit 120 on the cleaner body 110 when removing dust on the floor, and a mop module on the cleaner body 110 when cleaning the floor.

When the suction unit 120 is mounted on the cleaner body 110, the mounting may be guided by the above-described cover member 129. That is, since the cover member 129 is disposed to cover the outer circumferential surface of the cleaner body 110, the relative position of the suction unit 120 with respect to the cleaner body 110 may be determined.

A sensing unit 130 is disposed on the cleaner body 110. As illustrated, the sensing unit 130 may be disposed on one side of the cleaner body 110 in which the suction unit 120 is located, that is, in front of the cleaner body 110.

The sensing unit 130 may be disposed to overlap the suction unit 120 in the vertical direction of the cleaner body 110. The sensing unit 130 is disposed on the upper portion of the suction unit 120, and is configured to detect obstacles or terrain features in the front so that the suction unit 120 positioned at the front of the robot cleaner 100 does not collide with an obstacle.

The sensing unit 130 is configured to perform a sensing function other than this sensing function. This will be described in detail later.

The cleaner body 110 is provided with a dust container receiving portion 113, and the dust container receiving portion 113 is detachably coupled with a dust container 140 for separating and collecting dust in the inhaled air. As shown, the dust container receiving portion 113 may be formed on the other side of the cleaner body 110, that is, behind the cleaner body 110.

A part of the dust container 140 is accommodated in the dust container receiving portion 113, and the other part of the dust container 140 protrudes toward the rear of the cleaner body 110 (that is, the reverse direction R opposite to the forward direction F). Can be formed.

The dust container 140 is formed with an inlet 140a through which dust-containing air flows and an outlet 140b through which dust-separated air is discharged, and when the dust container 140 is mounted on the dust container receiving portion 113, the inlet ( 140a) and the outlet 140b are configured to communicate with the first opening 110a and the second opening 110b formed on the inner wall of the dust container receiving portion 113, respectively.

The intake flow passage inside the cleaner body 110 corresponds to a flow path from an inlet (not shown) to the first opening 110a communicating with the communication part 120b", and the exhaust flow passage from the second opening 110b to the exhaust passage ( It corresponds to the flow path up to 112).

According to this connection relationship, air containing dust introduced through the suction unit 120 passes through the intake passage inside the cleaner body 110, enters the dust container 140, and filters or cyclones of the dust container 140. Air and dust are separated from each other. The dust is collected in the dust container 140, and air is discharged from the dust container 140 and then exhausted through the exhaust passage 112 inside the cleaner body 110 and finally discharged to the outside.

In the following FIG. 4, an embodiment related to the components of the robot cleaner 100 is described.

The robot cleaner 100 or the mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit 1100, an input unit 1200, a driving unit 1300, a sensing unit 1400, an output unit 1500, a power unit 1600, It may include at least one of the memory 1700 and the control unit 1800, or a combination thereof.

At this time, the components shown in FIG. 4 are not essential, so it is needless to say that a robot cleaner having more or fewer components may be implemented. Hereinafter, each component will be described.

First, the power supply unit 1600 is provided with a battery that can be charged by an external commercial power supply to supply power to the mobile robot. The power supply unit 1600 may supply driving power to each of the components included in the mobile robot, thereby supplying operating power required for the mobile robot to travel or perform a specific function.

At this time, the control unit 1800 detects the remaining power of the battery, and when the remaining power is insufficient, controls the controller to move to a charging station connected to an external commercial power source, and receives a charging current from the charging station to charge the battery. The battery may be connected to the battery detection unit so that the battery level and charge status may be transmitted to the control unit 1800. The output unit 1500 may display the remaining battery amount on the screen by the control unit.

The battery may be located at the bottom of the center of the robot cleaner, or may be located on either the left or right side. In the latter case, the mobile robot may further include a counterweight in order to relieve the weight bias of the battery.

On the other hand, the driving unit 1300 is provided with a motor, by driving the motor, the left and right main wheels can be rotated in both directions to rotate or move the body. The driving unit 1300 may move the main body of the mobile robot forward, backward, left, and right, or curve, or rotate it in place.

Meanwhile, the input unit 1200 receives various control commands for the robot cleaner from the user. The input unit 1200 may include one or more buttons, and for example, the input unit 1200 may include a confirmation button, a setting button, and the like. The confirmation button is a button for receiving a command for confirming detection information, obstacle information, location information, and map information from a user, and the setting button is a button for receiving a command for setting the information from the user.

In addition, the input unit 1200 cancels the previous user input and inputs a reset button for receiving user input again, a delete button for deleting a preset user input, a button for setting or changing an operation mode, and a command for returning to the charging station. And an input button.

In addition, the input unit 1200 may be installed on the top of the mobile robot using a hard key, soft key, touch pad, or the like. In addition, the input unit 1200 may have a form of a touch screen together with the output unit 1500.

Meanwhile, the output unit 1500 may be installed on the upper portion of the mobile robot. Of course, the installation location or installation type may be different. For example, the output unit 1500 may display a battery state or a driving method on the screen.

Also, the output unit 1500 may output status information of the mobile robot detected by the sensing unit 1400, for example, the current status of each component included in the mobile robot. In addition, the output unit 1500 may display external state information, obstacle information, location information, map information, etc. detected by the sensing unit 1400 on the screen. The output unit 1500 is any one of a light emitting diode (LED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display panel, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED). It can be formed of a device.

The output unit 1500 may further include sound output means for aurally outputting an operation process or an operation result of the mobile robot performed by the control unit 1800. For example, the output unit 1500 may output a warning sound to the outside according to the warning signal generated by the control unit 1800.

At this time, the sound output means may be a means for outputting sound such as a beeper, a speaker, etc., and the output unit 1500 uses audio data or message data having a predetermined pattern stored in the memory 1700 to generate sound. It can be output to the outside through the output means.

Therefore, the mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention may output environmental information on the driving area to the screen or output sound through the output unit 1500. According to another embodiment, the mobile robot may transmit map information or environmental information to the terminal device through the communication unit 1100 so that the terminal device outputs a screen or sound to be output through the output unit 1500.

Meanwhile, the communication unit 1100 connects the terminal device and/or another device located in a specific area (to be used interchangeably with the term "home appliance" in this specification) and one of wired, wireless, and satellite communication methods. It transmits and receives signals and data.

The communication unit 1100 may transmit and receive data with other devices located in a specific area. In this case, the other device may be any device that can connect to a network and transmit and receive data. For example, it may be a device such as an air conditioner, a heating device, an air purification device, a light fixture, a TV, or an automobile. Further, the other device may be a device that controls a door, a window, a water valve, a gas valve, or the like. Further, the other device may be a sensor that detects temperature, humidity, air pressure, gas, or the like.

Meanwhile, the memory 1700 stores a control program for controlling or driving the robot cleaner and data corresponding thereto. The memory 1700 may store audio information, video information, obstacle information, location information, map information, and the like. Also, the memory 1700 may store information related to a driving pattern.

The memory 1700 mainly uses a non-volatile memory. Here, the non-volatile memory (Non-Volatile Memory, NVM, NVRAM) is a storage device that can keep the stored information even when the power is not supplied, for example, ROM (ROM), flash memory (Flash Memory), magnetic computer Storage devices (eg, hard disks, diskette drives, magnetic tapes), optical disk drives, magnetic RAMs, PRAMs, and the like.

Meanwhile, the sensing unit 1400 may include at least one of an impact sensor, an external signal detection sensor, a front detection sensor, a cliff detection sensor, a lower camera sensor, an upper camera sensor, and a 3D camera sensor.

The shock sensor may be installed at at least one point on the outer surface of the main body, and may sense a physical force applied to the point.

In one example, the impact sensor is disposed on the outer surface of the body, and may direct the front of the body. In another example, an impact sensor can be disposed on the outer surface of the body to direct the rear of the body. In another example, an impact sensor can be disposed on the outer surface of the body, pointing to the left or right side of the body.

The external signal detection sensor can detect the external signal of the mobile robot. The external signal detection sensor may be, for example, an infrared ray sensor, an ultra-sonic sensor, or a radio frequency sensor.

The mobile robot can receive the guide signal generated by the charging stand using an external signal detection sensor to check the position and direction of the charging stand. At this time, the charging base may transmit a guide signal indicating the direction and distance so that the mobile robot can return. That is, the mobile robot can receive the signal transmitted from the charging stand, determine the current position, and set the moving direction to return to the charging stand.

On the other hand, the front detection sensor may be installed at regular intervals along the outer peripheral surface of the mobile robot, specifically, the mobile robot. The forward detection sensor is located on at least one side of the mobile robot to detect an obstacle in the front, and the front detection sensor detects an object in the moving direction of the mobile robot, particularly an obstacle, and transmits the detection information to the control unit 1800. Can deliver. That is, the front detection sensor may detect a projecting object, furniture in the house, furniture, a wall surface, a wall edge, and the like, which exist on the moving path of the mobile robot, and transmit the information to the control unit 1800.

The front detection sensor may be, for example, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an RF sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, etc., and the mobile robot may use one type of sensor as a front detection sensor or two or more types of sensors as needed. have.

As an example, an ultrasonic sensor may be mainly used to detect obstacles in a long distance. The ultrasonic sensor includes a transmitter and a receiver, and the control unit 1800 determines whether an obstacle is present, whether ultrasonic waves emitted through the transmitter are reflected by an obstacle or the like, and determines whether an ultrasonic radiation time and ultrasonic reception time are present. Can be used to calculate the distance from the obstacle.

In addition, the control unit 1800 may detect information related to the size of an obstacle by comparing ultrasonic waves emitted from a transmitter and ultrasonic waves received at a receiver. For example, the control unit 1800 may determine that the more ultrasonic waves are received in the reception unit, the larger the obstacle size.

In one embodiment, a plurality (eg, 5) of ultrasonic sensors may be installed along the outer circumferential surface on the front side of the mobile robot. At this time, preferably, the ultrasonic sensor may be installed on the front surface of the mobile robot alternately with the transmitter and receiver.

That is, the transmitter may be disposed to be spaced apart from the front center of the main body to the left and right, and one or more transmitters may be disposed between the receivers to form a reception area of the ultrasonic signal reflected from an obstacle or the like. With this arrangement, the reception area can be expanded while reducing the number of sensors. The transmission angle of ultrasonic waves may maintain an angle in a range that does not affect different signals to prevent a crosstalk phenomenon. Also, the reception sensitivity of the reception units may be set differently.

In addition, the ultrasonic sensor may be installed upward by a predetermined angle so that ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic sensor are output upward, and at this time, may further include a predetermined blocking member to prevent ultrasonic waves from being radiated downward.

On the other hand, as described above, as described above, two or more types of sensors may be used together, and accordingly, the front detection sensor may use any one type of sensor, such as an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or an RF sensor. .

As an example, the front detection sensor may include an infrared sensor as another type of sensor in addition to the ultrasonic sensor.

The infrared sensor may be installed on the outer peripheral surface of the mobile robot together with the ultrasonic sensor. The infrared sensor may also detect obstacles present in the front or side, and transmit obstacle information to the controller 1800. That is, the infrared sensor detects a projecting object, furniture in the house, furniture, a wall surface, a corner of the wall, and the like, and transmits the information to the control unit 1800. Therefore, the mobile robot can move the body within a specific area without colliding with an obstacle.

On the other hand, the cliff detection sensor (or Cliff Sensor), mainly using various types of optical sensors, can detect the obstacle on the floor supporting the body of the mobile robot.

That is, the cliff detection sensor is installed on the rear surface of the mobile robot on the floor, and of course, it can be installed at a different location according to the type of the mobile robot. The cliff detection sensor is located on the back of the mobile robot to detect obstacles on the floor, and the cliff detection sensor is an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an RF sensor, and a PSD (Position) equipped with a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit as the obstacle detection sensor Sensitive Detector) sensor.

For example, any one of the cliff sensing sensors may be installed in front of the mobile robot, and the other two cliff sensing sensors may be installed relatively in the back.

For example, the cliff detection sensor may be a PSD sensor, but may also be composed of a plurality of different types of sensors.

The PSD sensor detects the short and long distance position of the incident light by one p-n junction using the semiconductor surface resistance. The PSD sensor includes a one-dimensional PSD sensor that detects light in only one axis, and a two-dimensional PSD sensor that can detect a light position on a plane, and can all have a pin photodiode structure. The PSD sensor is a type of infrared sensor, and uses infrared rays to measure the distance by transmitting the infrared rays and measuring the angle of infrared rays reflected from an obstacle. That is, the PSD sensor calculates the distance from the obstacle using a triangulation method.

The PSD sensor includes a light emitting unit that emits infrared rays on an obstacle, and a light receiving unit that receives infrared rays reflected from the obstacle and returns, and is generally configured in a module form. When an obstacle is detected using a PSD sensor, a stable measurement value can be obtained regardless of a difference in reflectivity and color of the obstacle.

The control unit 1800 may measure the infrared angle between the emission signal of the infrared light emitted by the cliff detection sensor toward the ground and the reflected signal reflected and received by the obstacle, and detect the cliff and analyze its depth.

Meanwhile, the controller 1800 may determine whether to pass the cliff according to the ground state of the cliff detected using the cliff detection sensor, and may determine whether to pass the cliff according to the determination result. For example, the control unit 1800 determines whether a cliff exists or not and the depth of the cliff through a cliff detection sensor, and then passes the cliff only when a reflection signal is detected through the cliff detection sensor.

As another example, the control unit 1800 may determine the lifting phenomenon of the mobile robot using a cliff detection sensor.

Meanwhile, the lower camera sensor is provided on the rear surface of the mobile robot, and acquires image information on the lower surface during movement, that is, the bottom surface (or the surface to be cleaned). The lower camera sensor is also referred to as an optical flow sensor. The lower camera sensor converts the downward image input from the image sensor provided in the sensor to generate image data in a predetermined format. The generated image data may be stored in the memory 1700.

Also, one or more light sources may be installed adjacent to the image sensor. One or more light sources irradiate light to a predetermined area of the bottom surface photographed by the image sensor. That is, when the mobile robot moves a specific area along the bottom surface, if the bottom surface is flat, a certain distance is maintained between the image sensor and the bottom surface. On the other hand, when the mobile robot moves the bottom surface of the non-uniform surface, it is farther than a certain distance due to irregularities and obstacles on the bottom surface. At this time, one or more light sources may be controlled by the controller 1800 to adjust the amount of light to be irradiated. The light source may be a light emitting device capable of adjusting the amount of light, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

Using the lower camera sensor, the control unit 1800 may detect the position of the mobile robot regardless of the sliding of the mobile robot. The control unit 1800 may compare and analyze image data captured by the lower camera sensor over time to calculate a moving distance and a moving direction, and based on this, calculate a location of the mobile robot. By using the image information for the lower side of the mobile robot using the lower camera sensor, the control unit 1800 can correct the sliding robustly with respect to the position of the mobile robot calculated by other means.

On the other hand, the upper camera sensor is installed so as to face upward or forward of the mobile robot to photograph the surroundings of the mobile robot. When the mobile robot is provided with a plurality of upper camera sensors, the camera sensors may be formed on a top or side surface of the mobile robot at a certain distance or angle.

The 3D camera sensor may be attached to one or a portion of the body of the mobile robot to generate 3D coordinate information related to the surroundings of the body.

That is, the 3D camera sensor may be a 3D depth camera that calculates a perspective distance between a mobile robot and an object to be photographed.

Specifically, the 3D camera sensor may capture a 2D image related to the periphery of the main body, and generate a plurality of 3D coordinate information corresponding to the captured 2D image.

In one embodiment, the three-dimensional camera sensor is provided with two or more cameras for acquiring an existing two-dimensional image, a stereo vision that combines two or more images obtained from the two or more cameras to generate three-dimensional coordinate information Can be formed in a manner.

Specifically, the three-dimensional camera sensor according to the embodiment is a first pattern irradiation unit for irradiating the light of the first pattern downward toward the front of the main body, and irradiating the light of the second pattern upward toward the front of the main body It may include a second pattern irradiation unit and an image acquisition unit that acquires an image in front of the main body. Accordingly, the image acquisition unit may acquire an image of a region in which light of the first pattern and light of the second pattern are incident.

In another embodiment, the 3D camera sensor includes an infrared pattern emitting unit that irradiates an infrared pattern with a single camera, and captures a shape in which the infrared pattern irradiated from the infrared pattern emitting unit is projected on an object to be photographed. The distance between the sensor and the object to be photographed can be measured. The 3D camera sensor may be an IR (Infra Red) 3D camera sensor.

In another embodiment, the 3D camera sensor includes a light emitting unit that emits light together with a single camera, receives a portion of the laser emitted from the light emitting unit and is reflected from an object to be photographed, and analyzes the received laser, thereby 3D The distance between the camera sensor and the object to be photographed can be measured. The 3D camera sensor may be a TOF (Time of Flight) 3D camera sensor.

Specifically, the laser of the 3D camera sensor as described above is configured to irradiate a laser extending in at least one direction. In one example, the 3D camera sensor may include first and second lasers, the first laser irradiating lasers having a straight line intersecting each other, and the second laser irradiating a single linear laser. can do. According to this, the lowermost laser is used to detect obstacles at the bottom, the uppermost laser is used to detect obstacles at the top, and the intermediate laser between the lowermost laser and the uppermost laser is used to detect obstacles in the middle. It is used for.

In the following FIG. 5, an embodiment showing an installation mode of the cleaner 100 and the charging station 510 in the cleaning area will be described.

5, a charging station 510 for charging a battery of the cleaner 100 may be installed in the cleaning area 500. In one embodiment, the charging station 510 may be installed outside the cleaning area 500.

Although not shown in FIG. 5, the charging station 510 includes a communication device (not shown) capable of emitting different types of signals, and the communication device communicates wirelessly with the communication unit 1100 of the cleaner 100. You can do

The controller 1800 may control the driving unit 1300 such that the main body of the cleaner 100 is docked to the charging station 510 based on the signal received from the charging station 510 to the communication unit 1100.

The control unit 1800 may move the main body in the direction of the charging station 510 when the remaining capacity of the battery falls below a threshold capacity, and when the main body is close to the charging station 510, the driving unit 1300 to start a docking function ) Can be controlled.

6, a driving method of the cleaner 100 proposed in the present invention will be described.

In general, the cleaner 100 performing autonomous driving may move within the cleaning area according to a preset driving pattern 600. The cleaner 100 performing autonomous driving travels in various patterns to minimize dead zones in which cleaning is not performed in the cleaning area.

The driving pattern 600 illustrated in FIG. 6 is a zigzag pattern, in a direction perpendicular to one surface of the first wall 610 of the cleaning area, and the first pattern 600a away from the wall and closer to the wall It is a repetitive combination of the second pattern 600b.

The zigzag pattern 600 includes a third pattern 600c between the first pattern and the second pattern in a direction parallel to one surface of the first wall 610 to change the driving direction.

On the other hand, since the suction unit 120 of the cleaner 100 proposed in the present invention is installed on the front side of the main body, when moving along the third pattern 600c of FIG. 6, the cleaning ability for the corner area is poor. This can happen.

In particular, when the cleaner 100 running in a zigzag manner approaches the second wall 620 forming the corner of the cleaning area together with the first wall 610, it no longer approaches the second wall 620 side. An unclean area S0 including a corner formed by the first and second walls is generated.

In the following description, a control method of the cleaner 100 for solving this problem is proposed.

First, referring to FIG. 7, while the control unit 1800 travels along a preset driving pattern 600, between the first surface 610 and the first point of the first wall 610 existing on the side of the main body, It can detect whether the contact 700.

Specifically, while performing the first driving M1 in the direction of approaching the first wall 610 along the zigzag pattern, the control unit 1800 uses the detection result of the shock sensor disposed on the front surface of the main body, the first It may be determined whether the wall 610 is in contact with the main body.

That is, when the output of the shock sensor exceeds the reference output, the control unit 1800 may determine that the front of the main body is in contact with an obstacle or a wall.

In one embodiment, the control unit 1800 may determine that the point where the shock sensor is installed collides with an obstacle or a wall using information related to the installation position of the shock sensor.

Hereinafter, when the front of the main body contacts the first wall 610, the central position of the cleaner 100 is defined as a first position P1.

In addition, the controller 1800 may detect a distance between the body side and the second wall 620 using a sensor installed on the side of the body.

At this time, the sensor installed on the side of the main body may be composed of various types of sensors capable of detecting a distance between an obstacle and the main body, such as an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a camera sensor, and a laser sensor.

When the front surface of the main body contacts the first wall 610, the control unit 1800 uses the sensor installed on the side of the main body, and the distance between the first position P1 of the cleaner 100 and the second wall 620 ( X1) can be detected. In addition, the control unit 1800 may determine whether the cleaner 100 has entered the corner area of the cleaning area based on the detected distance X1.

In addition, when the front of the main body contacts the first wall 610, the controller 1800 may detect a distance X2 between the main body side and the second wall 620 using a sensor installed on the side of the main body. . In addition, the control unit 1800 may determine whether the cleaner 100 has entered the corner area of the cleaning area based on the detected distance X2.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the front of the main body and the first wall 610 contact, cleaning is performed on the first portion S1 of the first wall 610. Specifically, the first portion S1 may correspond to a portion where the suction unit 120 of the cleaner 100 contacts the first wall 610.

However, after the cleaner 100 reaches the first position P1, cleaning is performed on the area S0 existing between the second wall 620 and the first position P1 using only a normal zigzag driving algorithm. A problem that cannot be done occurs.

Accordingly, the control unit 1800 uses a corner driving method to contact or space the side surface of the main body at least once or more apart from the first wall 610 until the front surface of the main body contacts the second wall 620. (1300) can be controlled.

First, in FIGS. 8 to 10, a posture changing driving method for performing the above-described corner driving is described.

8 to 10, when the front of the main body contacts the first wall 610, the control unit 1800 changes the posture of the main body so that the front of the main body faces the second wall 620. The driving unit 1300 may be controlled using a posture changing driving method.

Referring to FIG. 8, when the front of the main body is in contact with the first wall 610, the controller 1800 may perform a first posture change process M2 for reversing the main body.

The backward path corresponding to the first posture change process M2 may be a curved path, as shown in FIG. 8. At this time, the control unit 1800 may control the driving unit 1300 such that the main body faces the second wall 620 while reversing the main body.

For reference, at the time when the first posture change process M2 is completed, the position of the cleaner 100 is defined as the second position P2.

Thereafter, the control unit 1800 may perform the second posture change driving M3 to move the vacuum cleaner 100 straight until the front of the main body contacts the second wall 620.

Referring to FIG. 9, cleaning of a portion S2 of the second wall 620 is performed by the second posture change driving M3.

Next, referring to FIG. 10, the control unit 1800 performs a third posture change operation (M4) so that any one of both sides of the main body that comes close to the first wall 610 is brought into contact with the first wall 610. You can do

As shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 1800 changes the rotation direction of the main body while performing the third posture change driving M4 so that the side surface of the main body contacts the first wall 610 ( 1300).

Meanwhile, the posture change driving method illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 10 is only an example for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

That is, in the control unit 1800 according to the present invention, when the cleaner 100 enters the first position P1 in the corner area, the front surface of the cleaner 100 is directed to the second wall 620, and at the same time, the cleaner The driving unit 1300 may be controlled using various driving methods such that the side surface of the 100 contacts the first wall 610.

Referring to FIG. 11, when the main body of the cleaner 100 enters the corner area, the control unit 1800 controls the driving unit 1300 such that the first side of the main body contacts the first wall 610 at least once. can do.

For reference, the first side of the main body is defined as any one side spaced further away from the second wall 620 of both sides of the main body when the cleaner enters the first position P1. Accordingly, when the cleaner enters the first position P1, the other side spaced closer from the second wall 620 of both sides of the main body is defined as the second side.

An impact sensor (not shown) for sensing a physical force applied from the outside may be installed on the first side. The shock sensor may be composed of various types of sensors, and any shape may be used if it is configured as a sensor capable of detecting external pressure. Detailed description of the structure or shape of the sensor for sensing the pressure applied from the outside is omitted.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, when the posture change driving (M2, M3, M4) is completed, the controller 1800 first and first corner driving (M5) separating the first side surface from the first wall 610, and It is possible to perform the second corner driving (M6) to contact the one side back to the first wall.

In particular, the controller 1800 may repeatedly perform the first and second corner driving until the front of the main body contacts the second wall 620.

In addition, in order to perform the first corner driving, the control unit 1800 rotates any one of the two main wheels disposed on both sides of the cleaner 100 closer to the first wall 610, faster than the other one. I can do it.

Conversely, the control unit 1800 may rotate one of the two main wheels closer to the first wall 610 more slowly than the other one to perform the second corner driving.

Referring to FIG. 12, the control unit 1800 causes the front surface of the main body to enter a corner formed between the first wall and the second wall while colliding the first side surface of the main body with the first wall 610 multiple times. ) Can be controlled.

As illustrated in FIG. 12, the controller 1800 may alternately perform at least one first corner driving M6b and at least one second corner driving M6a, M6c.

In one embodiment, the controller 1800 may determine whether to perform the first corner driving and the second corner driving based on the output of the sensor installed on the first side.

Specifically, the control unit 1800, when the output of the sensor installed on the first side increases from the preset first reference value or less, above the preset second reference value, the driving unit 1300 to perform the first corner driving Can be controlled. At this time, the second reference value is set larger than the first reference value.

Conversely, when the output of the sensor installed on the first side decreases from the second reference value or more to the first reference value or less, the controller 1800 may control the driving unit 1300 to perform second corner driving. have.

A shock sensor (not shown) that senses the pressure applied from the outside may be installed on the front of the main body as well as the side surface of the main body. By this, it is possible to determine whether the front surface of the main body is in contact with the second wall 620.

In FIG. 13, a control method of the above-described cleaner 100 is described.

First, the control unit 1800 may determine whether the front surface of the main body is in contact with the first wall 610 (S1301).

When the front of the main body contacts the first wall 610, the control unit 1800 detects the distance between the main body and the second wall 620 located on the side of the main body, and based on the detected result, the main body enters the corner area It can be determined whether or not (S1302).

Thereafter, the controller 1800 may perform a posture change driving so that the front of the main body faces the second wall 620 (S1303).

When the posture change driving is completed, the controller 1800 may perform corner driving to enter the front of the main body into the corner while contacting the side of the main body with the first wall 610 a plurality of times (S1304).

As described above, if the first corner driving and the second corner driving are repeatedly performed repeatedly, the front surface of the main body enters the corner while the first side surface of the main body contacts or approaches the first wall 610.

Accordingly, according to the present invention, the performance of the cleaner can be improved by performing a detailed driving in the corner area so that the robot cleaner can clean the cleaning area without gaps.

In particular, according to the present invention, the user's satisfaction with the cleaner can be improved by minimizing the uncleaned area that cannot be cleaned by zigzag driving.

Claims (14)

main body;
A driving unit for moving the main body within the cleaning area;
A suction unit installed on the front surface of the body;
A plurality of sensors respectively installed on the front surface of the main body and both side surfaces of the main body to detect obstacles present in each direction; And
Based on a preset driving pattern, and includes a control unit for controlling the driving unit so that the main body is moved,
The control unit,
While traveling along the preset driving pattern, it is detected whether or not it enters a corner area of the cleaning area by using a sensor installed on a front surface of the main body and a sensor installed on a first side of both sides of the main body,
When the main body enters the corner area, the driving unit is controlled such that the first side surface of the main body contacts the first wall forming the corner area at least once,
The first wall,
Among the two walls forming the corner area, when entering the corner area, the front surface of the main body is directed,
The control unit,
When the front of the main body is in contact with the first wall,
A first posture changing process of reversing the main body along a first curved path such that the front of the main body faces the second wall forming the corner region together with the first wall;
A second posture change process of advancing the main body so that the front of the main body contacts the second wall; And
A third posture change process of driving the main body along a second curved path so that the body side contacts the first wall;
The first wall, the second wall and the first wall in contact with the second wall in order to control the autonomous driving, characterized in that to control to drive the corner area. According to claim 1,
The control unit,
When the first side is in contact with the first wall, the first corner driving to space the first side away from the first wall, and the second corner driving to contact the first side to the first wall again A cleaner performing autonomous driving, characterized in that the driving unit is controlled to be sequentially performed. According to claim 2,
The sensor installed on the first side is composed of an impact sensor that senses a physical force applied from the outside,
The control unit,
A cleaner performing autonomous driving, based on the output of the sensor installed on the first side, determining whether to perform the first corner driving and the second corner driving. According to claim 3,
The control unit,
When the output of the sensor installed on the first side increases from a preset first reference value or less to a preset second reference value or higher, autonomous driving characterized in that the driving unit is controlled to perform the first corner driving. Cleaner to perform. The method of claim 4,
The control unit,
When the output of the sensor installed on the first side decreases above the second reference value and below the first reference value, controlling the driving unit to perform the second corner driving is performed to perform autonomous driving. vacuum cleaner. According to claim 2,
The control unit,
A cleaner performing autonomous driving, characterized in that the driving unit is controlled so that the first and second corner driving is repeatedly performed until the suction unit installed on the front surface of the main body contacts the second wall. The method of claim 6,
The sensor installed on the front of the main body is composed of an impact sensor that senses a physical force applied from the outside,
The control unit,
A cleaner performing autonomous driving, characterized by determining whether or not the suction part contacts the second wall by using an output of a sensor installed on the front surface of the main body. delete delete According to claim 2,
The control unit,
When the posture change driving is completed, a cleaner performing autonomous driving, wherein the driving unit is controlled so that the first and second corner driving is repeatedly performed. delete According to claim 2,
The driving unit includes two main wheels respectively corresponding to both sides of the main body,
The control unit,
In order to perform the first corner driving, one of the two main wheels closer to the first wall, the cleaner to perform autonomous driving, characterized in that to control the driving unit to rotate faster than the other one . The method of claim 12,
The control unit,
To perform the second corner driving, one of the two main wheels closer to the first wall, the cleaner to perform autonomous driving, characterized in that to control the driving unit to rotate more slowly than the other one . According to claim 1,
The sensor installed on the side of the body is configured to detect the distance from the obstacle,
The control unit,
When the front surface of the main body contacts the first wall, the distance from the side surface of the main body to the second wall is calculated, and it is determined whether the main body has entered the corner area based on the calculated distance. A cleaner that performs autonomous driving.

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